26inch Beach Cruiser Coaster Brake Tire Question? Please help

[moosemonster]

Hello everyone!

New to this forum so bare with me. My question is:
Can a coaster brake bike still operate safely without the coaster brake bar thing?? (example: removed from tire hub completely)

I have a motor bike. Bought a 66cc 2stroke engine (2013 skyhawk grubee cant remember complete model off the top of my head)
Found a cheap beach cruiser for $60.00 (orig. priced @ $130.00) because it was on clearance. Yes i know going with a cheaper bike wasnt a good idea but i needed a way to and from work bad cuz riding a mountain bike 6 miles to do landscaping all day gets tiring after 2 months. So unknowingly the only modification i had to do was take off fenders so both motor chain and 1 speed pedal chain could pass through.

What my problem is now is that i need a completely new 26 inch beach cruiser tire and rim (26x126 tire size). I was wondering if i got one WITHOUT the coaster brake attachment would the bike tire still operate safely and work correctly BECAUSE i am worried if i get another one with the coaster brake the bearing will explode again. This bearing blowing up was caused by not having enough grease in which i stupidly did not check.

I have front handle bar pad brakes already so even with the engine running and engaged it slows the bike down. I also engage clutch at same time to stop faster. Im worried that from using the coaster brake and the not enough grease caused the bearing to over heat and explode, as well as the cone to hold the pedal side sprocket onto the axel shattered.

I can upload a picture of the damage if needed.

Any and all help would be much appreciated as i do need to order a new tire soon so i can get my bike working again to go to work lol
Thank you for your time as well

 

[moosemonster]

i see that i would have to some converting from the looks of reading other threads.

any body know a good website to get a 26inch beach cruiser coaster brake rim that will ship fast before the end of the week?

 

[bluegoatwoods]

Just last week I shattered the same bearing on my bike. I got four new ones off of an ebay seller. Stand by...I'll look in my mailbox and see if I can find out who he was....http://myworld.ebay.com/toplowriderstore/&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2754

There we go....that should be a link I've pasted in above.

I ordered 4 bearings on, I think, last Tuesday. They arrived Friday or Saturday.

I'm sure you can guess why I ordered 4; so that I'd have a few spares on hand while I figured out what I want to do in the long term. Maybe get a better wheel, maybe keep working with the one I have, etc.

 

[butterbean]

You dont need a whole new wheel because a bearing got damaged, unless the bearing races are damaged. The races are the surfaces that the ball bearings ride on. When you remove the axle and all the hub components (brake shoes, etc) you can get a clear look at the races. Its sort of like a lip, right on the inner edge of the hub. Wipe away any grease that might still be there, and check for any dings or scratches. You want to inspect visually, and also feel with your finger. If you feel or see any gouges or scratches, the hub is toast. The gouges and scratches may not cause a problem right away, but eventually they will get bigger and destroy another bearing, possibly even locking the wheel up at some point. You dont want a wheel locking up at 25 or 30mph. If the races are ok, then the wheel is still good. What you need to do is get some good high-temp grease ( I have a can of grease I got at an auto parts store ages ago, its multipurpose grease and works just fine). Look for grease with a dropping point (should say on the can or tube) of at least 500 degrees. Red automotive grease works well too. You want to grease every component that goes inside the hub, then make sure it all goes together in the proper order, and lastly make sure that the cones are properly adjusted. Its possible that the bearing explosion was caused not by lack of grease, but by improper reassembly or adjustment. And I'm not criticizing you. We've all made mistakes when we first started out. If there is no damage to your bearing races, go to a bike shop (I wouldnt mention that its motorized unless you've been there before and they are ok with it), take the wheel and the hub components and show them what has been damaged. If you feel comfident to put it back together yourself and dont have to pay them labor (a good idea since they most likely wont install the drive sprocket, which is kinda necessary before reassembling the hub anyway), they should be able to get you rolling again for less than $20, and they probably have all the parts on hand. Cheaper and faster than ordering a replacement wheel. Oh and the high-temp grease should be under $5. Still cheaper than a new wheel.